Blow-off beat down

[gleytch]

I just went out to the garage to check on the 6 batches fermenting in my temp controlled freezer and found a couple that looked like they were about to blow.The two were weizens using Danstar Munich yeast and they both had dime and quarter sized bubbles built up almost to the airlock. Rather than doing the right thing and installing blow-off tubes, I just smacked the top of the Better Bottle fermenter a few times with my flashlight and it seemed to drop the krausen by an inch or more. I'm not worried about this hurting the beer, the crap is going to fall back into the beer eventually anyway, but has anyone had any luck with preventing blow off this way before?

 

[Jaybird]

Let the blow off be your friend... I use them on every batch now. Just had way to many problems without. The funny thing about that is if you need it and dont have it, it's a mess and can be a bid deal. But if you have it and dont need it, No big deal. I say good luck! Wheat ferments crazy!!!
Cheers
Jay

 

[samc]

Better Bottle & flashlight smacking sounds like an early retirement plan for the BB. They seem to have issues with rough treatment. Blow off tube is good, larger fermenter is better.

Save the flashlight for hitting your buddies who drink too much of your brew.

 

[badhabit]

I use a blow off on every batch and have for a number of years. In the long run the work associated with one batch blowing out of the fermenter out does any additional effort that I have to use to start with the blow off.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Let the blow off be your friend... I use them on every batch now. Just had way to many problems without. The funny thing about that is if you need it and dont have it, it's a mess and can be a bid deal. But if you have it and dont need it, No big deal. I say good luck! Wheat ferments crazy!!!
Cheers
Jay

It's like guns and condoms...better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

I always use a blow-off tube and when I don't get a blowoff...bonus, no hose to clean.

 

[mhumm1]

I get the better to have it than not mentality, but how much headspace are you guys leaving? I go 5 or 5.5 gallons in a 6 gallon carboy and seems like I've never even really been close to blowing through the airlock.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I get the better to have it than not mentality, but how much headspace are you guys leaving? I go 5 or 5.5 gallons in a 6 gallon carboy and seems like I've never even really been close to blowing through the airlock.

I leave very little but I want it to either just barely blow-off or almost blow-off. This way the brown gunk either gets blown off (with minimal loss) or it gets stuck to the cone/neck area of the carboy.

 

[badhabit]

I have pretty much come to believe that yeast has a mind of its own. It may produce a product that is pretty much uniform over time but even slight varriations in temp, ph or whatever can cause fermentation to occur very differently. Lately....for the past 90 days every thing I brew, 4 batches, has basicly fermented out in less than 72 hours. Anyway the point is not about head space, it is about protection. And maybe mostly about not having to clean up a mess.